The six of us are seated around the table as the door opens. We’re joined by a tawny-skinned woman in scrubs. She appears a bit younger than my parents, while older than the rest of us. Wearing little makeup, her scrubs are covered by a white lab coat, and her hair is covered by a cap matching her scrubs. She introduces herself as Dr. Chaudhry.
“Hello,” we all acknowledge.
“Dr. Chaudhry,” my mother says, “we’re all family here. I want to be open with them.”
“Mrs. Thorne, Shannon” —Dr. Chaudhry looks at my mom with a steady expression that suggests she excels at bedside manner before she turns toward the table— “asked me to talk to you. This information is to remain with the family. The Blue Gil police have asked that only minimal information be released to the public.”
Collectively, we nod our agreement.
“First the good news,” the doctor begins, “Julie’s breathing has improved. Her oxygen levels are at ninety-six. When she was first found, they were near sixty. She was immediately put on supplemental oxygen. We’ve successfully removed that. There is significant evidence to indicate strangulation. Though external bruising is minimal, there is swelling inside her neck. Julie has fluid in her lungs. This could be from the injury or her reaction to the combination of drugs. We’re assessing the damage to the carotid arteries. There can be some long-term effects. If the bleeding continues, clots could form, or if she sustained prolonged lack of oxygen to her brain.”
“Brain damage?” Liv asks.
“Your sister is responding to stimuli. That is exceptionally good.”
The tension around us builds as we wait for the not-good news.
Dr. Chaudhry continues, “Your daughter and sister has many substances in her system: alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine. We’re waiting for more tests. The substances that were found stay in the blood for anywhere from two to thirty days. We can only assume they were introduced last night. We can’t know that for certain until we do more tests and speak to Julie. When she was found, she was severely dehydrated. She’d expelled bodily fluids while in that shed.” The doctor pauses. “The vomit and excrement suggest her body was doing its part to rid her of the toxins. Vomiting can also be the body’s reaction to loss of oxygen.”
Vomit, urine, and diarrhea...no wonder they needed to clean her.
“Did she lose a lot of blood?” I ask, wanting to know about the blood my father had mentioned.
The doctor’s gaze goes to my mother, who nods, and back to us. “It appears Julie was assaulted.”
“Beat up?” Ollie asks.
Liv sucks in a breath. “Raped?”
“Not exactly,” Dr. Chaudhry says to Ollie. She then turns to Liv. “There is no evidence of semen or contraceptive. The deputy found some old gardening tools that are believed to be the instrument used by whoever did this.”
“Oh my God,” Liv whispers as she lowers her head to Matt’s shoulder.
“Will she be all right?” I ask.
“Physically,” the doctor says, “time will tell. We were able to suture the lacerations. There were minimal vaginally. However, rectal tissue is more likely to tear. With the incontinence that followed, we need to concentrate on infection. For that reason, your parents have decided to keep Julie in an induced state of unconsciousness. This will give her body time to heal.”
When I turn to my parents, my father’s arm is around my mother, and her head is on his shoulder. I’m almost certain she already informed him, but by the expressions on everyone else’s faces, we are all in a collective state of shock and dismay.
Chapter
Seventeen
Iwake as the sun crests the horizon. Wrapping my hair in a messy bun, I make my way out onto the front porch, coffee in hand and blanket around my shoulders. Purples and reds saturate the eastern sky, the colors reflecting upon the still waters of Stark Lake. Birds chirp and chipmunks scurry as if the world is on course, spinning on its axis and following its track through our universe.
Yet that isn’t how it feels. The earth seems off-kilter.
It has been six years since I have stepped inside Blue Gil village limits, and within three days of my arrival, the town and its people are in a state of upheaval. My family is living in a fog of uncertainty. The tragedy I came to investigate has been obscured by another, bigger and more vicious.
The untimely death of a respected man pales in comparison to the assault of two teenage girls—one teenage girl for sure.
At least our family has an answer, unlike the Thompsons. There is a sense of peace in knowing the truth, even if it’s not a reality we hoped for.
By the time Matt and Liv returned Ollie and me to Mom and Dad’s house last night, the sky was dark, the moon shone, and the stars had sprung to life. Despite the invitation to stay at our parents’ home, we all decided to sleep where we belonged. Matt and Liv headed for Three Rivers and Ollie for his place on Bloomfield Lake, near Lawton, in a home that used to belong to our grandparents.
For me, where I belong would be Lake Forest. Instead of traveling across country, I chose cottage two on Stark Lake.
Once here, forgoing wine, I searched for the bottle of vodka I purchased. It wasn’t where I thought I put it. Then again, no one would accuse me of thinking clearly. I shook my head as I opened another cupboard, finding the tall bottle. At first, I considered adding Diet Sprite and cranberry juice. Weariness won and I settled for straight vodka. Three rapid shots and my nerves begin to calm, allowing me to push away the images of my sister I’ve concocted in my mind.
